Replacement Seats for Jeep Wrangler TJ

I have cloth seats taken from a Grand Cherokee (or Cherokee...can't remember now).
$50 from the pick and pull wrecker, and in very good condition. Simple bolt-in.

The lack of "built-in" tumble forward in the passenger seat is an issue...or a bonus when you don't want to drive a 3rd passenger. (There are a few ways around adding in the tumble forward, but it requires extra work - so be aware when taking from 4-door vehicles).
 
So after a little more research and browsing around, my wife likes the Corbeau Sport Seats. She also wants to retain the fold and tumble feature of our current seats. Here comes a problem, in order to retain that feature I need to use the Corbeau adapter bracket that adds 1.5-2” to the height of the seat. Not an issue for my 5’2” wife (probably safer for her to be able to see the front end a little better). However, I’m 5’11”. Part of me thinks that a 2” increase in seat height can’t be that big of a deal, as people much taller than me drive TJs.

Thoughts?
 
Serbonze said:
Here comes a problem, in order to retain that feature I need to use the Corbeau adapter bracket that adds 1.5-2” to the height of the seat. Not an issue for my 5’2” wife (probably safer for her to be able to see the front end a little better). However, I’m 5’11”. Part of me thinks that a 2” increase in seat height can’t be that big of a deal, as people much taller than me drive TJs.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
The added height will be fine for your earlier model TJ where it's unlikely you also have seat spacers installed. Not so for those of us who also kept the seat spacers we installed due to the stupid-low height of 2003 and newer seats. I can sometimes barely squeeze in between the steering wheel and my PRC suspension seats sometimes, I need to remove my driver's side spacers. :)
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
The added height will be fine for your earlier model TJ where it's unlikely you also have seat spacers installed. Not so for those of us who also kept the seat spacers we installed due to the stupid-low height of 2003 and newer seats. I can sometimes barely squeeze in between the steering wheel and my PRC suspension seats sometimes, I need to remove my driver's side spacers. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Jerry, you are correct that I do not have spacers in my 2001 TJ. I just want to be sure that I’m understanding what you are saying though, because I think I just got incredibly confused. :)

I’m comparing our seats in my mind. By adding spacers your OE seat was then the same height as mine, and it sounds like the PRP also raised the seat an additional amount like the Corbeau would do for me. If you remove your spacers won’t your seat go back to being lower than mine with the Corbeau?
 
Serbonze said:
Thanks Jerry, you are correct that I do not have spacers in my 2001 TJ. I just want to be sure that I’m understanding what you are saying though, because I think I just got incredibly confused. :)

I’m comparing our seats in my mind. By adding spacers your OE seat was then the same height as mine, and it sounds like the PRP also raised the seat an additional amount like the Corbeau would do for me. If you remove your spacers won’t your seat go back to being lower than mine with the Corbeau?
Click to expand...
My PRP seats with their taller seat bolsters raised the 'entry' height over where it used to be for me to get in with the previous OE seats. I definitely sit higher with my PRC seats with the seat base spacers than I did with my OE seats did with the same seat base spacers installed.

I'm thinking/hoping removing my aftermarket seat spacers will lower my PRP seat height to more like your OE seat height and like my factory seats with the spacers used to be. Sometimes I struggle to get my legs and butt in between the steering wheel and PRP seats with the seat base spacers. This is the case with pretty much any suspension seat with higher bolsters designed to secure you in the seat more.

You can see the spacers I intend to remove here...

Picture 063.jpg
 
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So I went ahead and ordered the Corbeau Sport Seats todayin Spice vinyl bolsters with a cloth insert. My wife and I discussed several options, and these have everything that we wanted. They are a Christmas gift for her, so I’m just hoping that they arrive in time.

16F37BF5-A77A-44FE-9428-04D248E58357.jpeg


I did some more searching, and found quite a few people that complained about the increase in seat height. I also remembered that my father has two different Corbeau Baja Seats in his Jeep. So after some FaceTime discussion, we
figured out why some people have issues with the height of Corbeau seats, and it’s the way they mount to the adapter bracket. My father has the Baja XP mounted to the drivers side in his ‘99 with an adapter bracket to his fold and tumble mount and the height has never been an issue when I drive it. The base on that seat is 5” (vs 4.5” on the Sport seat). The adapter bracket for that seat only increases height by about 1/2” because it bolts flush to the bottom of the seat through a flat adapter bracket.

1A001363-D774-436B-9CE6-CD00F2C4BC1D.jpeg


His passenger seat is the Baja SS, which mounts via tabs on the sides and requires an adapter bracket like the one above, but the horizontal flat stock shown above is on edge, adding additional height. This is a crappy picture of the adapter bracket, but it was taken with my iPad during our FaceTime. You can see the tabs coming down from the seat, and why the adapter bracket ends up increasing the height.

E7E81475-59E3-4A0C-A80A-AC61A4DA7967.jpeg


Additionally, when I got back into town I measured my seat base and it’s actually 6” thick (with a 7” front bolster) vs 4.5” for the Corbeau.

So in closing, it should work out fine just like Jerry said above. :)
 
Serbonze said:
So I went ahead and ordered the Corbeau Sport Seats todayin Spice vinyl bolsters with a cloth insert. My wife and I discussed several options, and these have everything that we wanted. They are a Christmas gift for her, so I’m just hoping that they arrive in time.

View attachment 25862

I did some more searching, and found quite a few people that complained about the increase in seat height. I also remembered that my father has two different Corbeau Baja Seats in his Jeep. So after some FaceTime discussion, we
figured out why some people have issues with the height of Corbeau seats, and it’s the way they mount to the adapter bracket. My father has the Baja XP mounted to the drivers side in his ‘99 with an adapter bracket to his fold and tumble mount and the height has never been an issue when I drive it. The base on that seat is 5” (vs 4.5” on the Sport seat). The adapter bracket for that seat only increases height by about 1/2” because it bolts flush to the bottom of the seat through a flat adapter bracket.

View attachment 25860

His passenger seat is the Baja SS, which mounts via tabs on the sides and requires an adapter bracket like the one above, but the horizontal flat stock shown above is on edge, adding additional height. This is a crappy picture of the adapter bracket, but it was taken with my iPad during our FaceTime. You can see the tabs coming down from the seat, and why the adapter bracket ends up increasing the height.

View attachment 25864

Additionally, when I got back into town I measured my seat base and it’s actually 6” thick (with a 7” front bolster) vs 4.5” for the Corbeau.

So in closing, it should work out fine just like Jerry said above. :)
Click to expand...


Did you ever get the new seats? How do you like them?
 
I plan on cleaning up the brackets and giving them a coat of paint while I have everything disassembled, so it may be a few days. :)
 
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I had some time today to install the seats. Overall, it was a pretty painless process. I had been hitting all of the mounting bolts with Kroil over the last week, and they came out without an issue.

The adapter brackets required a little massaging, but everything went smoothly. The fold and tumble feature in both seats still works, but you have to use the lever under the seat now since the seats themselves don’t have a cable attachment to the back the OE seats.

I’m really happy with them, but more importantly my wife was thrilled. They are MUCH firmer than the old seats, and the bolster is great. The color is also a perfect match for the interior.

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DD37F16B-2592-487A-B9DB-8DFAA634013C.jpeg
DA8BAE0A-404C-46AF-B26A-BC0B86C71131.jpeg
 
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I just installed a set of these in my Lj this week also. I went with their brackets, they sit a little crooked. I’m torn if I am going to keep these or not.

Yours look like they fit a little better with the factory sliders.
 
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Sean OConnell said:
I just finished installing BWM E90 seats- brown leather. Always thought BMWs had one of the most comfortable seats. $300 on Craigslist. Another $75!in metal and supplies to mount them up. Had to fab a plate and retained the tumble forward pass seat plus all the functions of the BMW seat.

View attachment 58122
Click to expand...
Wow those look awesome, love leather seats!!
 
Jerry Bransford said:
Wow those look awesome, love leather seats!!
Click to expand...

Hello Jerry, I was just reading your write up on your seat install. I was thinking about putting a set of the same seats in mine but not sure if I should get the 2+2 option. I'm like 5,11 250#. If I get the 2+2 option will they fit with my stock console?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
kylepresnell419 said:
Hello Jerry, I was just reading your write up on your seat install. I was thinking about putting a set of the same seats in mine but not sure if I should get the 2+2 option. I'm like 5,11 250#. If I get the 2+2 option will they fit with my stock console?
Click to expand...
I have just one extra wide seat on the passenger side and it's a VERY tight fit against the console. I have a steel Tuffy center console and had to push/bend it over toward the driver's standard width side slightly to get it all to work together. It wouldn't have all worked if both seats were the extra wide versions.
 
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Sean OConnell said:
I just finished installing BWM E90 seats- brown leather. Always thought BMWs had one of the most comfortable seats. $300 on Craigslist. Another $75!in metal and supplies to mount them up. Had to fab a plate and retained the tumble forward pass seat plus all the functions of the BMW seat.

View attachment 58122
Click to expand...

Those look really comfy. They also look fantastic.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
I have just one extra wide seat on the passenger side and it's a VERY tight fit against the console. I have a steel Tuffy center console and had to push/bend it over toward the driver's standard width side slightly to get it all to work together. It wouldn't have all worked if both seats were the extra wide versions.
Click to expand...
What was the reason for the extra wide passenger seat? Is the driver side comfortable or do you have to squeeze into it?
 
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